The Dawn-Breakers: Nabíl’s Narrative of the Early Days of the Bahá’í Revelation

Nabil

THE first journey Bahá’u’lláh undertook for the purpose
of promoting the Revelation announced by
the Báb was to His ancestral home in Núr, in the
province of Mázindarán. He set out for the village
of Tákúr, the personal estate of His father, where He owned a
vast mansion, royally furnished and superbly situated. It
was my privilege to hear Bahá’u’lláh Himself, one day, recount
the following: “The late Vazír, My father, enjoyed a most
enviable position among his countrymen. His vast wealth,
his noble ancestry, his artistic attainments, his unrivalled
prestige and exalted rank made him the object of the admiration
of all who knew him. For a period of over twenty years,
no one among the wide circle of his family and kindred, which
extended over Núr and Tihrán, suffered distress, injury, or
illness. They enjoyed, during a long and uninterrupted period,
rich and manifold blessings. Quite suddenly, however, this
prosperity and glory gave way to a series of calamities which
severely shook the foundations of his material prosperity. The
first loss he suffered was occasioned by a great flood which,
rising in the mountains of Mázindarán, swept with great
violence over the village of Tákúr, and utterly destroyed half
the mansion of the Vazír, situated above the fortress of that
village. The best part of that house, which had been known
for the solidity of its foundations, was utterly wiped away
by the fury of the roaring torrent. Its precious articles of
furniture were destroyed, and its elaborate ornamentation
irretrievably ruined. This was shortly followed by the loss
of various State positions which the Vazír occupied, and by
the repeated assaults directed against him by his envious
adversaries. Despite this sudden change of fortune, the
Vazír maintained his dignity and calm, and continued, within
the restricted limits of his means, his acts of benevolence and
charity. He continued to exercise towards his faithless associates
110

[Illustrations: APPROACH TO, AND RUINS OF, BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S ORIGINAL HOME
IN TAKUR, MÁZINDARÁN]
111
that same courtesy and kindness that had characterised
his dealings with his fellow-men. With splendid
fortitude he grappled, until the last hour of his life, with the
adversities that weighed so heavily upon him.”

Bahá’u’lláh had already, prior to the declaration of the
Báb, visited the district of Núr, at a time when the celebrated
mujtahid Mírzá Muhammad Taqíy-i-Núrí was at the height
of his authority and influence. Such was the eminence of his
position, that they who sat at his feet regarded themselves
each as the authorised exponent of the Faith and Law of
Islám. The mujtahid was addressing a company of over
two hundred of such disciples, and was expatiating upon a
dark passage of the reported utterances of the imáms, when
Bahá’u’lláh, followed by a number of His companions, passed
by that place, and paused for a while to listen to his discourse.
The mujtahid asked his disciples to elucidate an abstruse
theory relating to the metaphysical aspects of the Islamic
teachings. As they all confessed their inability to explain
it, Bahá’u’lláh was moved to give, in brief but convincing
language, a lucid exposition of that theory. The mujtahid
was greatly annoyed at the incompetence of his disciples.
“For years I have been instructing you,” he angrily exclaimed,
“and have patiently striven to instil into your minds
the profoundest truths and the noblest principles of the
Faith. And yet you allow, after all these years of persistent
study, this youth, a wearer of the kuláh,
1
who has had no
share in scholarly training, and who is entirely unfamiliar
with your academic learning, to demonstrate his superiority
over you!

Later on, when Bahá’u’lláh had departed, the mujtahid
related to his disciples two of his recent dreams, the circumstances
of which he believed were of the utmost significance.
“In my first dream,” he said, “I was standing in the midst
of a vast concourse of people, all of whom seemed to be
pointing to a certain house in which they said the Sáhibu’z-Zamán
dwelt. Frantic with joy, I hastened in my dream
to attain His presence. When I reached the house, I was,
to my great surprise, refused admittance. ‘The promised
112
Qá’im,’ I was informed, ‘is engaged in private conversation
with another Person. Access to them is strictly forbidden.’
From the guards who were standing beside the door, I gathered
that that Person was none other than Bahá’u’lláh.

“In my second dream,” the mujtahid continued, “I found
myself in a place where I beheld around me a number of coffers,
each of which, it was stated, belonged to Bahá’u’lláh. As
I opened them, I found them to be filled with books. Every
word and letter recorded in these books was set with the most
exquisite jewels. Their radiance dazzled me. I was so overpowered
by their brilliance that I awoke suddenly from my
dream.”

When, in the year ’60, Bahá’u’lláh arrived in Núr, He
discovered that the celebrated mujtahid who on His previous
visit had wielded such immense power had passed away.
The vast number of his devotees had shrunk into a mere
handful of dejected disciples who, under the leadership of
his successor, Mullá Muhammad, were striving to uphold
the traditions of their departed leader. The enthusiasm which
greeted Bahá’u’lláh’s arrival sharply contrasted with the
113
gloom that had settled upon the remnants of that once
flourishing community. A large number of the officials and
notables in that neighbourhood called upon Him and, with
every mark of affection and respect, accorded Him a befitting
welcome. They were eager, in view of the social position He
occupied, to learn from Him all the news regarding the life
of the Sháh, the activities of his ministers, and the affairs of
his government. To their enquiries Bahá’u’lláh replied with
extreme indifference, and seemed to reveal very little interest
or concern. With persuasive eloquence He pleaded the cause
of the new Revelation, and directed their attention to the
immeasurable benefits which it was destined to confer upon
their country.
2
Those who heard Him marvelled at the keen
interest which a man of His position and age evinced for
truths which primarily concerned the divines and theologians
of Islám. They felt powerless to challenge the soundness of
His arguments or to belittle the Cause which He so ably expounded.
They admired the loftiness of His enthusiasm and
the profundity of His thoughts, and were deeply impressed
by His detachment and self-effacement.

None dared to contend with His views except His uncle
Azíz, who ventured to oppose Him, challenging His statements
and aspersing their truth. When those who heard
him sought to silence this opponent and to injure him, Bahá’u’lláh
intervened in his behalf, and advised them to leave
him in the hands of God. Alarmed, he sought the aid of the
mujtahid of Núr, Mullá Muhammad, and appealed to him
to lend him immediate assistance. “O vicegerent of the
Prophet of God!” he said. “Behold what has befallen the
Faith. A youth, a layman, attired in the garb of nobility,
has come to Núr, has invaded the strongholds of orthodoxy,
and disrupted the holy Faith of Islám. Arise, and resist his
onslaught. Whoever attains his presence falls immediately
under his spell, and is enthralled by the power of his utterance.
I know not whether he is a sorcerer, or whether he mixes
with his tea some mysterious substance that makes every
man who drinks the tea fall a victim to its charm.” The
114
mujtahid, notwithstanding his own lack of comprehension,
was able to realise the folly of such remarks. Jestingly he
observed: “Have you not partaken of his tea, or heard him
address his companions?” “I have,” he replied, “but,
thanks to your loving protection, I have remained immune
from the effect of his mysterious power.” The mujtahid,
finding himself unequal to the task of arousing the populace
against Bahá’u’lláh, and of combating directly the ideas
which so powerful an opponent was fearlessly spreading, contented
himself with a written statement in which he declared:
“O Azíz, be not afraid, no one will dare molest you.” In
writing this, the mujtahid had, through a grammatical error,
so perverted the purport of his statement, that those who read
it among the notables of the village of Tákúr were scandalised
by its meaning, and vilified both the bearer and the author
of that statement.

Those who attained the presence of Bahá’u’lláh and heard
Him expound the Message proclaimed by the Báb were so
much impressed by the earnestness of His appeal that they
forthwith arose to disseminate that same Message among
the people of Núr and to extol the virtues of its distinguished
Promoter. The disciples of Mullá Muhammad meanwhile
endeavoured to persuade their teacher to proceed to Tákúr,
to visit Bahá’u’lláh in person, to ascertain from Him the nature
of this new Revelation, and to enlighten his followers regarding
its character and purpose. To their earnest entreaty the
mujtahid returned an evasive answer. His disciples, however,
refused to admit the validity of the objections he raised.
They urged that the first obligation imposed upon a man of
his position, whose function was to preserve the integrity of
shí’ah Islám, was to enquire into the nature of every movement
that tended to affect the interests of their Faith. Mullá
Muhammad eventually decided to delegate two of his eminent
lieutenants, Mullá Abbás and Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim, both
sons-in-law and trusted disciples of the late mujtahid, Mírzá
Muhammad-Taqí, to visit Bahá’u’lláh and to determine the
true character of the Message He had brought. He pledged
himself to endorse unreservedly whatever conclusions they
might arrive at, and to recognise their decision in such matters
as final.
115

[Illustrations: EXTERIOR OF THE ROOM OCCUPIED BY BAHÁ’U’LLÁH IN TAKUR,
MÁZINDARÁN; INTERIOR OF BAHÁ’U’LLÁH’S ROOM KEPT IN ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION;
EXTERIOR OF THE ROOM OCCUPIED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ IN TAKUR, MÁZINDARÁN;
INTERIOR OF THE ROOM OCCUPIED BY ‘ABDU’L-BAHÁ]
116

On being informed, upon their arrival in Tákúr, that Bahá’u’lláh
had departed for His winter resort, the representatives
of Mullá Muhammad decided to leave for that place. When
they arrived, they found Bahá’u’lláh engaged in revealing a
commentary on the opening Súrih of the Qur’án, entitled
“The Seven Verses of Repetition.” As they sat and listened
to His discourse, the loftiness of the theme, the persuasive
eloquence which characterised its presentation, as well as the
extraordinary manner of its delivery, profoundly impressed
them. Mullá Abbás, unable to contain himself, arose from
his seat and, urged by an impulse he could not resist, walked
back and stood still beside the door in an attitude of reverent
submissiveness. The charm of the discourse to which he was
listening had fascinated him. “You behold my condition,”
he told his companion as he stood trembling with emotion
and with eyes full of tears. “I am powerless to question
Bahá’u’lláh. The questions I had planned to ask Him have
vanished suddenly from my memory. You are free either
to proceed with your enquiry or to return alone to our teacher
and inform him of the state in which I find myself. Tell
him from me that Abbás can never again return to him.
He can no longer forsake this threshold.” Mírzá Abu’l-Qásim
was likewise moved to follow the example of his companion.
“I have ceased to recognise my teacher,” was his reply. “This
very moment, I have vowed to God to dedicate the remaining
days of my life to the service of Bahá’u’lláh, my true and
only Master.”

The news of the sudden conversion of the chosen envoys
of the mujtahid of Núr spread with bewildering rapidity
throughout the district. It roused the people from their
lethargy. Ecclesiastical dignitaries, State officials, traders,
and peasants all flocked to the residence of Bahá’u’lláh. A
considerable number among them willingly espoused His
Cause. In their admiration for Him, a number of the most
distinguished among them remarked: “We see how the
people of Núr have risen and rallied round you. We witness
on every side evidences of their exultation. If Mullá Muhammad
were also to join them, the triumph of this Faith
would be completely assured.” “I am come to Núr,” Bahá’u’lláh
replied, “solely for the purpose of proclaiming the
117
Cause of God. I cherish no other intention. If I were told
that at a distance of a hundred leagues a seeker yearned for
the Truth and was unable to meet Me, I would, gladly and
unhesitatingly, hasten to his abode, and would Myself satisfy
his hunger. Mullá Muhammad, I am told, lives in Sa’adat-Ábád,
a village not far distant from this place. It is My
purpose to visit him and deliver to him the Message of God.”

Desirous of giving effect to His words, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied
by a number of His companions, proceeded immediately
to that village. Mullá Muhammad most ceremoniously
received Him. “I have not come to this place,”
Bahá’u’lláh observed, “to pay you an official or formal visit.
My purpose is to enlighten you regarding a new and wondrous
Message, divinely inspired and fulfilling the promise given to
Islám. Whosoever has inclined his ear to this Message has
felt its irresistible power, and has been transformed by the
potency of its grace. Tell Me whatsoever perplexes your
mind, or hinders you from recognising the Truth.” Mullá
Muhammad disparagingly remarked: “I undertake no action
unless I first consult the Qur’án. I have invariably, on such
occasions, followed the practice of invoking the aid of God
and His blessings; of opening at random His sacred Book,
and of consulting the first verse of the particular page upon
which my eyes chance to fall. From the nature of that
verse I can judge the wisdom and the advisability of my
contemplated course of action.” Finding that Bahá’u’lláh
was not inclined to refuse him his request, the mujtahid called
for a copy of the Qur’án, opened and closed it again, refusing
to reveal the nature of the verse to those who were present.
All he said was this: “I have consulted the Book of God, and
deem it inadvisable to proceed further with this matter.”
A few agreed with him; the rest, for the most part, did not
fail to recognise the fear which those words implied. Bahá’u’lláh,
disinclined to cause him further embarrassment, arose
and, asking to be excused, bade him a cordial farewell.

One day, in the course of one of His riding excursions into
the country, Bahá’u’lláh, accompanied by His companions,
saw, seated by Me roadside, a lonely youth. His hair was
dishevelled, and he wore the dress of a dervish. By the side
of a brook he had kindled a fire, and was cooking his food
118
and eating it. Approaching him, Bahá’u’lláh most lovingly
enquired: “Tell Me, dervish, what is it that you are doing?”
“I am engaged in eating God,” he bluntly replied. “I am
cooking God and am burning Him.” The unaffected simplicity
of his manners and the candour of his reply pleased
Bahá’u’lláh extremely. He smiled at his remark and began
to converse with him with unrestrained tenderness and freedom.
Within a short space of time, Bahá’u’lláh had changed
him completely. Enlightened as to the true nature of God,
and with a mind purged from the idle fancy of his own people,
he immediately recognised the Light which that loving Stranger
had so unexpectedly brought him. That dervish, whose
name was Mustafá, became so enamoured with the teachings
which had been instilled into his mind that, leaving his
cooking utensils behind, he straightway arose and followed
Bahá’u’lláh. On foot, behind His horse, and inflamed with
the fire of His love, he chanted merrily verses of a love-song
which he had composed on the spur of the moment and had
dedicated to his Beloved. “Thou art the Day-Star of guidance,”
ran its glad refrain. “Thou art the Light of Truth.
Unveil Thyself to men, O Revealer of the Truth.” Although,
in later years, that poem obtained wide circulation among
his people, and it became known that a certain dervish, surnamed
Majdhúb, and whose name was Mustafá Big-i-Sanandají,
had, without premeditation, composed it in praise
of his Beloved, none seemed to be aware to whom it actually
referred, nor did anyone suspect, at a time when Bahá’u’lláh
was still veiled from the eyes of men, that this dervish alone
had recognised His station and discovered His glory.

Bahá’u’lláh’s visit to Núr had produced the most far-reaching
results, and had lent a remarkable impetus to the
spread of the new-born Revelation. By His magnetic eloquence,
by the purity of His life, by the dignity of His bearing,
by the unanswerable logic of His argument, and by the many
evidences of His loving-kindness, Bahá’u’lláh had won the
hearts of the people of Núr, had stirred their souls, and had
enrolled them under the standard of the Faith. Such was
the effect of words and deeds, as He went about preaching
the Cause and revealing its glory to His countrymen in Núr,
that the very stones and trees of that district seemed to have
119
been quickened by the waves of spiritual power which emanated
from His person. All things seemed to be endowed
with a new and more abundant life, all things seemed to be
proclaiming aloud: “Behold, the Beauty of God has been
made manifest! Arise, for He has come in all His glory.”
The people of Núr, when Bahá’u’lláh had departed from out
their midst, continued to propagate the Cause and to consolidate
its foundations. A number of them endured the
severest afflictions for His sake; others quaffed with gladness
the cup of martyrdom in His path. Mázindarán in general,
and Núr in particular, were thus distinguished from the
other provinces and districts of Persia, as being the first to
have eagerly embraced the Divine Message. The district of
Núr, literally meaning “light,” which lay embedded within
the mountains of Mázindarán, was the first to catch the rays
of the Sun that had arisen in Shíráz, the first to proclaim
to the rest of Persia, which still lay enveloped in the shadow
of the vale of heedlessness, that the Day-Star of heavenly guidance
had at length arisen to warm and illuminate the whole
land.

When Bahá’u’lláh was still a child, the Vazír, His father,
dreamed a dream. Bahá’u’lláh appeared to him swimming
in a vast, limitless ocean. His body shone upon the waters
with a radiance that illumined the sea. Around His head,
which could distinctly be seen above the waters, there radiated,
in all directions, His long, jet-black locks, floating in
great profusion above the waves. As he dreamed, a multitude
of fishes gathered round Him, each holding fast to the
extremity of one hair. Fascinated by the effulgence of His
face, they followed Him in whatever direction He swam.
Great as was their number, and however firmly they clung
to His locks, not one single hair seemed to have been detached
from His head, nor did the least injury affect His
person. Free and unrestrained, He moved above the waters
and they all followed Him.

The Vazír, greatly impressed by this dream, summoned
a soothsayer, who had achieved fame in that region, and
asked him to interpret it for him. This man, as if inspired
by a premonition of the future glory of Bahá’u’lláh, declared:
“The limitless ocean that you have seen in your dream, O
120
Vazír, is none other than the world of being. Single-handed
and alone, your son will achieve supreme ascendancy over it.
Wherever He may please, He will proceed unhindered. No
one will resist His march, no one will hinder His progress.
The multitude of fishes signifies the turmoil which He will
arouse amidst the peoples and kindreds of the earth. Around
Him will they gather, and to Him will they cling. Assured
of the unfailing protection of the Almighty, this tumult will
never harm His person, nor will His loneliness upon the sea
of life endanger His safety.”

That soothsayer was subsequently taken to see Bahá’u’lláh.
He looked intently upon His face, and examined carefully
His features. He was charmed by His appearance, and
extolled every trait of His countenance. Every expression
in that face revealed to his eyes a sign of His concealed glory.
So great was his admiration, and so profuse his praise of
Bahá’u’lláh, that the Vazír, from that day, became even
more passionately devoted to his son. The words spoken by
that soothsayer served to fortify his hopes and confidence
in Him. Like Jacob, he desired only to ensure the welfare
of his beloved Joseph, and to surround Him with his loving
protection.

Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, the Grand Vazír of Muhammad Sháh,
though completely alienated from Bahá’u’lláh’s father, showed
his son every mark of consideration and favour. So great
was the esteem which the Hájí professed for Him, that Mírzá
Áqá Khán-i-Núrí, the I’timádu’d-Dawlih, who afterwards
succeeded Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, felt envious. He resented the
superiority which Bahá’u’lláh, as a mere youth, was accorded
over him. The seeds of jealousy were, from that time, implanted
in his breast. Though still a youth, and while his
father is yet alive, he thought, he is given precedence in the
presence of the Grand Vazír. What will, I wonder, happen
to me when this young man shall have succeeded his father?

After the death of the Vazír, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí continued
to show the utmost consideration to Bahá’u’lláh. He would
visit Him in His home, and would address Him as though
He were his own son. The sincerity of his devotion, however,
was very soon put to the test. One day, as he was passing
through the village of Quch-Hisar, which belonged to Bahá’u’lláh,
121
he was so impressed by the charm and beauty of that
place and the abundance of its water that he conceived the
idea of becoming its owner. Bahá’u’lláh, whom he had summoned
to effect the immediate purchase of that village, observed:
“Had this property been exclusively mine own, I
would willingly have complied with your desire. This transitory
life, with all its sordid possessions, is worthy of no
attachment in my eyes, how much less this small and insignificant
estate. As a number of other people, both rich
and poor, some of full age and some still minors, share with
me the ownership of this property, I would request you to
refer this matter to them, and to seek their consent.” Unsatisfied
with this reply, Hájí Mírzá Aqásí sought, through
fraudulent means, to achieve his purpose. So soon as Bahá’u’lláh
was informed of his evil designs, He, with the consent
of all concerned, immediately transferred the title of the
property to the name of the sister of Muhammad Sháh, who
had already repeatedly expressed her desire to become its
owner. The Hájí, furious at this transaction, ordered that
the estate should be forcibly seized, claiming that he already
had purchased it from its original possessor. The representatives
of Hájí Mírzá Aqásí were severely rebuked by the
agents of the sister of the Sháh, and were requested to inform
their master of the determination of that lady to assert her
rights. The Hájí referred the case to Muhammad Sháh,
and complained of the unjust treatment to which he had been
subjected. That very night, the Sháh’s sister had acquainted
him with the nature of the transaction. “Many a time,”
she said to her brother, “your Imperial Majesty has graciously
signified your desire that I should dispose of the jewels with
which I am wont to adorn myself in your presence, and with
the proceeds purchase some property. I have at last succeeded
in fulfilling your desire. Hájí Mírzá Aqásí, however, is now
fully determined to seize it forcibly from me.” The Sháh
reassured his sister, and commanded the Hájí to forgo his
claim. The latter, in his despair, summoned Bahá’u’lláh to
his presence and, by every artifice, strove to discredit His
name. To the charges he brought against Him, Bahá’u’lláh
vigorously replied, and succeeded in establishing His innocence.
In his impotent rage, the Grand Vazír exclaimed:
122
“What is the purpose of all this feasting and banqueting
in which you seem to delight? I, who am the Prime Minister
of the Sháhinsháh of Persia, never receive the number and
variety of guests that crowd around your table every night.
Why all this extravagance and vanity? You surely must be
meditating a plot against me.” “Gracious God!” Bahá’u’lláh
replied. “Is the man who, out of the abundance of his
heart, shares his bread with his fellow-men, to be accused of
harbouring criminal intentions?” Hájí Mírzá Aqásí was
utterly confounded. He dared no reply. Though supported
by the combined ecclesiastical and civil powers of Persia,
he eventually found himself, in every contest he ventured
against Bahá’u’lláh, completely defeated.

On a number of other occasions, Bahá’u’lláh’s ascendancy
over His opponents was likewise vindicated and recognised.
These personal triumphs achieved by Him served to enhance
His position, and spread abroad His fame. All classes of
men marvelled at His miraculous success in emerging unscathed
from the most perilous encounters. Nothing short
of Divine protection, they thought, could have ensured His
safety on such occasions. Not once did Bahá’u’lláh, beset
though He was by the gravest perils, submit to the arrogance,
the greed, and the treachery of those around Him. In His
constant association, during those days, with the highest
dignitaries of the realm, whether ecclesiastical or State officials,
He was never content simply to accede to the views
they expressed or the claims they advanced. He would, at
their gatherings, fearlessly champion the cause of truth,
would assert the rights of the downtrodden, defending the
weak and protecting the innocent.
123

1.

The kuláh, a lambskin hat, differentiated the clergy from the laity, and was worn invariably by State officials.
[ Back To Reference]

2.

“His [Bahá’u’lláh’s] speech was like a ‘rushing torrent’ and his clearness in exposition brought the most learned divines to his feet.” (Dr. T. K. Cheyne’s “The Reconciliation of Races and Religions,” p. 120.)
[ Back To Reference]